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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394556">some days I can't even trust myself</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Talks [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Feral Cody, Fluff, Fluffier than I anticipated, He'll do anything for his vode, Head Injury, Hurt Cody, Hurt Rex, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know what I'm doing, Implied Sexual Content, Just taking this AU for a spin, Kix is a Good Bro, Kix is a good medic, M/M, Mando'a, No Smut, Omega Verse, Why Did I Write This?, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:22:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23394556</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>“General, can’t you use the Force to calm him down At all?”</em><br/>  <br/><em>The Jedi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Kix blinked through his HUD settings again, trying to come up with more information while he waited, but came up empty.</em></p><p> <em>“He’s too unfocused, he’s not...he’s just not him. I can try and push calm into the Force, but that’s it. In his present state of agitation I’m not sure it will help.”</em></p><p> <em>Kix nodded. Of *karking* course.</em></p><p> <br/>Or: An excuse to use Alpha/Beta/Omega verse for my own amusement and hurt comfort purposes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-2224 | Cody/CT-7567 | Rex, CT-5597 | Jesse/CT-6116 | Kix, CT-6116 | Kix &amp; CT-7567 | Rex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Talks [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>223</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>some days I can't even trust myself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I just can't leave this AU alone. Idk. </p><p>Title from Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men</p><p>Mando'a in <em>"italics."</em> Other Mando'a translations at the end.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The first thing Cody was aware of was pain. His head was throbbing in time with his heartbeat and the ringing in his ears. He winced as he sat up, only to immediately jerk to one side and vomit, his stomach clenching and rolling in turn. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He gasped for breath, fighting through blurred vision and bright spots, trying to remember where he was, when he was and, most importantly, if he was alone. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He groaned without meaning to and wiped his mouth. His thoughts were jagged, illusive, slipping through his fingers before he could string them together. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Bright. Too bright. White. Pain. And notsafenotsafenotsafe. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">With another groan he rolled his head from one side to the other, leaving the scent of dirt and sick behind to face a shadow that had previously been at his back. There was something about that shadow. Something inside it...<em>something</em>. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He blinked, bringing the hulking shape into into focus and it stayed that way if he moved slowly and didn’t breathe too deeply. It was a ship, still smoking, half buried in the soft red ground. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>Firefight. Seppies. We crashed.</em> His brain supplied and he blinked again, bringing one hand up to the side of his head where the pain and throbbing seemed to be the strongest and most localized. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He hissed and jerked his hand back when the slightest touch nearly had him retching into the grass again, and his glove came back painted red with his own blood. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>Not safe.</em> His mind screamed again. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">But who wasn’t safe? Cody looked around again, squinting when his vision continued to blur and double, but all he could make out around him was waist high grasses and a few scattered trees they’d been lucky to miss. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He felt safe. Safe enough anyway. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Then who? </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Just then, beyond the acrid scent of broken metal and burnt ozone, Cody picked up another scent. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Faint but sweet. And familiar. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Omega. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Suddenly Cody understood. It wasn’t himself who wasn’t safe. It was someone else. An Omega. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">My omega? </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3"><span class="s2">He couldn’t remember if he </span> <span class="s3">had</span> <span class="s2"> an Omega. </span></p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">But there was one nearby, he had no doubt. And he knew innately somehow, the same way he knew his name was Cody and blue was a color that was very important to him and the word ‘brother’ made his chest feel warm, that Cody himself was an Alpha. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Alphas protect Omegas. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">So that was what Cody would to do. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He levered himself to his feet with great effort, breathing harsh through his mouth and pushing violently against the black dots that threatened to fill his vision. He stumbled back toward the ship. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The ship was a mess of twisted metal with no light and filling with smoke. Cody coughed as he made his way through it, straining his nose to pick up on the odd sweet scent. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He passed sparking consoles and a few sets of armor with bodies inside that smelled of death. He didn’t stop. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"> <em>Find them. Help them. They aren't safe.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He found the Omega toward the back of the ship, half buried under a dislodged bulkhead in a stagnant puddle of blood. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>Distress. Hurt.</em> Cody’s mind supplied for the new note on the Omega scent he’d been tracking. <em>Not safe. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody squinted at the Omega, something deep and sharp inside him telling him this Omega was <em>important</em> though the reason kept eluding him. The helmet was different than the one the other bodies had worn, with blue jaig eyes painted on them and when Cody pulled it off, the face inside it was slack with unconsciousness and topped with short blonde hair. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>Mine</em>. Cody’s mind declared in something that was all but a snarl. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Movements that felt like instinct and muscle memory took over as Cody went about assessing the Omega’s injuries. He didn’t think to himself so much as act, the throbbing in his head continuing to make long strings of thoughts too painful to grasp. Instead, Cody stuck to what made sense and didn’t hurt quite so much to think about.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Apply pressure. Get free. Be careful. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Protect whats mine. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody managed to free the Omega from the tangled wreckage and carried him through the ship out into the cool evening air. He knelt on the ground a half dozen meters from the ship and laid him down. The Omega groaned, his face scrunching up in distress and pain and Cody laid a gentle hand on his forehead. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>K'uur</em>.” He growled out, surprising himself with the sound of his own voice. It hurt to talk. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The Omega blinked, brown eyes hazy and filled with pain. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Cody?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody felt the Omega’s name tingle against his lips, but it slipped away before he could grasp it. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Kuur, Ni olar. Nu ba'slanar.”</em> Cody soothed. The Omega looked as if he wanted to say something else but wrapped his arms around his middle and groaned again instead, curling up into a ball. Immediately Cody dropped down beside him, dragging the Omega carefully but purposefully into his lap, folding him against his chest. Something inside him surged with pride and warmth when the Omega seemed to take comfort in this and his scent sweetened slightly and he pressed his body to Cody’s. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Omega.” Cody whispered gruffly, tightening his hold again when the Omega whimpered and pressed his face tighter to his neck near his scent gland. <em>“Ner Omega. Ni nayc duumir mayen banar at gar.” </em></span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix was relieved when Oddball announced over the comms that he’d made visual contact with the wreckage. It had been two days, but the fact that they’d already located the wreckage, that there had even <em>been</em> wreckage to locate, made the likelihood that he would be rescuing men and not bodies all the more likely. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Get ready,” he barked across the comms, taking command as the ranking medical officer on the team. “I want a standard Beta Seven search pattern, triage any wounded you come across but comm me immediately if you locate the Captain or the Commander. No <em>not</em> engage them. Understood?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Yes sir.” Came the chorus of responses.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kenobi just nodded and Kix was glad the Jedi was not the type to be rankled by a clone taking charge, not unlike his Padawan and Kix's own General. It was a rescue mission after all, and a delicate one at that. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Most clones presented as Alphas, like Jango, but there were Betas and Omegas among them, even a few Nulls. Cody was an Alpha, as was the majority of the troop that had been sent out with him, Rex was the odd man out as the singular Omega of the group. But that wasn’t really the problem. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody and Rex were a bonded pair. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">A bonded AlphaOmega pair, where one or probably both were injured and had been left to their own devices for over 47 hours standard. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>That</em> was a problem. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">It was the reason Kix had suggested Skywalker be sent with the search group made up largely of the 212th. He was a Jedi which always came in handy, and a familiar face to Rex to balance the hoard of 212th alpha's who might potentially be seen as a danger to an injured Omega. Skywalker was also a Beta, so he would be seen as less of a threat to Cody if for some reason the Commander wasn't quite in his right mind. Even if he wasn't injured, instincts tended to take over in a life or death situation and Kix wasn't about to be caught off guard by a Commander that didn't quite recognize his <em>vode</em> as friend not foe.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix elected to go with Kenobi who was also an Alpha, but grew up in the temple and had taken Suppressors like clockwork since his presenting. The older Jedi had very little practical understanding of the best way to handle a bonded AlphaOmega pair who were functioning on more instinct than rationale, unlike his Padawan who had a more well rounded experience base thanks to his early childhood spent as a slave on Tatooine.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Of course, Kix was still hoping that they would find the entire team surviving just fine near the wreckage, with minimal injuries and complaining that it had taken so long for a rescue. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">But the Stars were never that kind to Kix. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The scent of distress and agitation was so strong in the air when the LAAT/i doors opened Kix saw even Kenobi responding to it, his head immediately snapping in the direction of a line of trees about twenty meters from the wreckage, eyes going dark with an instinctual need to <em>protect</em> that he guessed the Jedi didn't even fully understand.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">All the same, Kix waved half his team toward the wrecked ship to check for survivors, then he turned and followed Kenobi toward the trees with the rest. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Having served beside Jedi for a few years now, Kix was used to keeping a general in his sight-lines and following their lead before he understood why. That was why when he saw the man duck, he followed suit, along with the rest of the troopers with them. It saved their lives, and their heads, and they dove for cover, suddenly pinned down by a harsh barrage of blaster fire. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Hold your fire!” Kenobi shouted, to no avail. After a short pause, the absolute least time required for a blaster to have the charge pack removed and exchanged by an experienced <em>vod</em>, they were ducking again as the trees and dirt around them exploded. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix’s comm crackled inside his helmet. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Sir, we’ve finished searching the wreckage, no survivors. But the Captain and Commander are missing.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Yeah, we’ve found them.”</em> Kix snapped back before switching his helmet to his exterior mic. “Stand down, Fidget! Do not, I repeat, do <em>NOT</em> return fire. You’ll just be confirming us to be the threat he thinks we are. Everyone fall back to the ship and rendezvous with the other team, myself and the General will take care of this.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He turned to Kenobi, who was glaring across the the clearing into the thick of trees. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“It’s Cody but...theres something off about him." Obi Wan murmured, "He doesn’t feel like himself.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix grunted, crawling on his belly across the ground until he was laying right beside the General. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“What about the Captain?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kenobi grimaced. “He’s alive. That’s all I can say for sure.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix sighed, this all but confirmed what he’d thought. “I guess that explains why he’s firing on us.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The General turned to him with a baffled look. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“It does?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix nodded, blinking through his HUD displays until he was seeing a thermal display. He saw Cody, crouched behind a fallen tree twelve meters in front of them, placed in a perfect defensive position between them and the bright hot spot three meters beyond that, that had to be Rex.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“He’s defending his Omega, Rex, who is probably hurt, definitely in some kind of distress. And Cody...it’s hard to say for sure until I can see him, but the fact that he’s firing on us, along with what you seem to be sensing, seems to me that we’re not dealing with the Commander we’re familiar with."</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kenobi frowned, turning back to the tree-line where the blaster fire had stopped. But Kix could tell by the thermal signatures that Cody hadn’t moved. He was just waiting for their next move. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Alright, Plan C it is then. I’m going to try and get him to let me approach.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Kix, I think perhaps I should be the one to-“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“All due respect, sir, you’re an Alpha and in Cody’s present state that is more likely to escalate the situation.”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You’re an Alpha too, Kix.” Kenobi pointed out. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“True, but I’m a medic. I think I can convince him I’m not a threat long enough to get close and assess the situation.” He said, then waited for the General to acquiesce to his plan before he moved.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Very well. Be careful.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix nodded. “Yes sir.” He reached up and unsealed his helmet, pulling it off and setting it aside. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Vod! Don't shoot.”</em> Kix called out, the switch to mando’a a guess based on several years of experience on the front lines. Not once had Kix’ use of mando’a failed to be a calming influence on a hurt and frightened brother. <em>"I'm here to help!"</em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix waited a beat and exchanged a glance with Kenobi when silence was the only answer. He hesitated to stand though, whatever Cody’s current state of mind, Kix had no doubt he could shoot the hair off his head from 50 meters if he wanted to. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“I'm a medic.”</em> He tried, <em>“Can I approach?"</em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix bit his lip, breathing deep and scenting distressed Omega again along with the sharp, warning scent of an agitated Alpha. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“Help?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix’ eyes snapped up at the wary voice.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>Elek</em>.” Kix said, <em>“I’m a medic. I’m here to help.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Silence again and Kix tilted his head at Kenobi, whispering, “Here goes nothing.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“May the Force be with you all.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. That would certainly be new.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“I’m coming out.”</em> Kix called, slowly raising, first his hands, then his head and rolling up onto his knees. <em>“I’m not armed. I’m not a threat.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He was buoyed when he was not immediately shot dead and slowly rose to his feet, keeping his hands up and his head tilted back and to the right so he could bare his neck. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“I just want to help.”</em> He kept his voice low and even and began closing the distance. Kix saw Cody’s blaster first, followed the light glinting off the barrel to scuffed armor and up to the face of the Commander, who was watching him with cloudy, wary eyes. Kix immediately noted the caked on blood on his head near his temple and down the side of his face.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">A head injury certainly explained a lot of things. And probably an infection if the flushed cheeks were any indication. Kix wondered distantly if the injury that had given Cody his impressive facial scar had been retraumatized and if that was part of his confusion.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">If Kix was forced to guess, he’d say the Commander was running on nothing but Alpha hindbrain instinct and the training that was so instilled in the <em>vode</em> it hardly required thought to execute. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"> Kix knew when he’d come close enough that Cody scented him because the Commander’s wary look suddenly sharpened and he bared his teeth, growling lowly. Kix stopped cold.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Yes, I’m an alpha,”</em> he said in his best soothing tone, <em>“but I’m not athreat, remember? I’m a medic.”</em> He bit his lip, slowly reaching up to expose his scent gland. <em>“And I’m bonded, see? I’m no threat to your Omega.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody blinked, still standing between Kix and Rex but relaxed marginally. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. <em>“My Omega.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix nodded. <em>“He’s hurt. I want to help him. Can you take me to him?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix held his breath for three beats before Cody lowered his gun and turned to lead Kix toward their rustic camp, keeping the medic in his peripheral vision. Knowing he was still being watched, Kix was careful to keep his movements smooth and his hands visible. The camp mostly consisted of a small clearing littered with discarded ration wrappers and a smoldering fire. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">But the sight that made the Medic’s heart twist was the tangle of leaves, grasses and soft dirt that had clearly been a best attempt at a nest, with Rex curled up inside it, unconscious, pale and shivering. It was woefully inadequate, but Kix couldn’t say he wouldn’t have done the same to try and provide some comfort to the injured Omega. Rex was stripped to his blacks, curled into the fetal position, shivering and whimpering, the sour scent of distress nearly overpowering. As it was, bonded or not, it was all Kix could do not to rush over and pull the trembling Omega into his arms to comfort him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody had no such conflict, he walked straight over and dropped down into the nest and pulled Rex into his lap. Immediately the blonde turned and clung to him, straddling his lap and pressing his face into Cody’s neck, whimpering needily. Cody pressed a hand to his back, growling a low, possessive noise of comfort that calmed some of the Omega’s restless movements, his eyes sharply locked on Kix. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix bit his lip going slowly to his knees and pulling his pack off. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Here.”</em> He produced a small but soft blanket out of his pack, staying well outside the makeshift nest as he held it out. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cody took it, immediately wrapping it around Rex’s shoulders and the Omega purred at the comfort and warmth it provided.</span>
</p><p class="p3"><span class="s2">Kix pulled out a small handheld scanner. <em>“Can I scan him for injuries?”</em> </span> <span class="s2">Kix held up the scanner for Cody to inspect. </span></p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">“Yes.” </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix nodded his thanks and started his scan, taking the opportunity to scan Cody as well. The results were less than ideal but nothing that Kix didn’t expect. He was right about Cody’s head injury and infection, the Commander was running a low grade fever and functioning under a rather severe concussion. The Captain on the other hand had several fractured ribs, a low grade concussion and some internal injuries that would require further scans but weren’t life threatening just yet. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The most concerning thing Kix found, was a detail he’d already put together by Rex’s needy whimpering, the way he couldn’t get his face close enough to Cody’s neck and the stuttered, jerky rocking of the Captain’s hips over the Commander’s. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">Shock heat.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix bit his lip. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He’d been prepared for this, he’d brought the needed medication but the Captain’s temperature was already too high, it was too late to use it.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">It would need to be taken care of the old fashioned way. Thankfully, his Alpha was here, it was just a matter of whether Kix could get through to him well enough to make him understand what was needed. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Cody, your Omega is in a shock heat. Do you understand? He needs you.”</em> Kix said. Cody stared blankly back at him even as he pressed one hand against the back of Rex’s neck, the Omega nipping and licking over the scent gland. The same moment Kix’s comm chirped noisely, causing Rex to whimper and Cody to growl in annoyance. Kix silenced it immediately. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em> <span class="s2">“I’m sorry. But...We don’t have a lot of time, Cody. Your Omega needs you to help him through at least one round of the heat before we can leave and I can treat his injuries. I can give him an injection when you bring his temperature back down, but you have to help him first. Can you do that, Cody?” </span> </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix waited, but the Commander didn’t move. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Scent him.”</em> The man’s eyes narrowed slightly and Kix touched his own neck. <em>“You’re his mate. Scent him.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">After a beat, Cody did, he bent down and pressed his nose over Rex’s neck and inhaled deeply. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Then Cody <em>purred</em> and Rex’s scent shifted, away from distress toward interest and arousal and the note of Slick was suddenly present. Cody claimed Rex’s mouth and the Omega purred and whimpered again, this time something like a plea in the noise.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix smiled even as he blushed. <em>“That’s it, Vod.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He backed up a few steps, averting his eyes and busying himself with pulling items out of his pack, laying them out on the ground around him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Kix to Kenobi. There’s going to be a bit of a delay...”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kenobi sat back on his heels, kneeling in the same place where Kix had left him. Eyes closed, he was wide open to the Force, keeping tabs on the situation and men nearby. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Behind him, near the ship and wreckage, a dozen Force signatures, including Anakin’s bright flame milled about in a mixture of worry and tension, waiting for an update.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Obi Wan wasn’t paying them much mind, however, choosing to pay more attention to the three signatures in front of him.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix was easy to spot, he burned just a little bit brighter in the Force than most clones, not quite Force Sensitive but certainly attuned to it. He was a swirl of worry and tension as well, along with a wash of protectiveness, and a primal desire to protect and tightly controlled <em>lust</em>. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The last part might have been confusing if Kenobi wasn’t also aware of the other two Force signatures nearby. Cody and Rex were still cloudy in the Force, strangely disconnected which Kix guessed had to do with the Commander’s head injury and Rex’s shock heat. The heat, Kenobi realized now, was the reason for the Medic’s romantic feelings as he found a low, unfamiliar burn would blossom in Obi Wan’s own belly if he allowed himself to focus on the Captain’s signature for too long. Even without being able to scent the Omega from this distance, Kenobi’s connection to the force seemed to tap into something in his hind brain that had him pulling back slightly, reaching for the calm of the Force before the unfamiliar, oddly compelling sensations pulled him too far in a direction he was not prepared to go. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">After several minutes, Obi Wan sensed the bonded Force signatures separating some, the glow of sensuality and need dulling somewhat and Kix’s signature spiked with relief and...exasperation? </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kenobi’s comm chirped and Obi Wan inhaled sharply, blinking himself back into the present. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Kenobi here.”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“General, I’ve administered the medication to Rex to counteract his heat, we’ll be out in a few minutes once they’re both...dressed.” Kix coughed slightly. “We’ll be ready to return to the Resolute in a few minutes.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Good, I’ll let the others know.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Thank you General and, could you, um, ask Jesse to meet us in the Infirmary? I need his...assistance with something.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Obi Wan frowned, confused. “Of course Kix. I’ll have Anakin comm him.”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Thank you sir. Kix out.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Things happened quickly after the men were dressed and Kix convinced Cody to follow him out of the camp. Kenobi joined the trio on the walk back to the personnel carrier. Cody carried Rex, who was asleep thanks to the hypo Kix had given him, but stopped dead when he caught the scents of nearly a dozen familiar but unidentified Alphas gathered nearby, pulling Rex tighter to his chest and causing the injured man to groan even in his sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix didn’t hesitate, barely had time to glance at Kenobi in some hasty type of communication as he pulled a hypo out of his belt. The Jedi reached out to take Rex, causing Cody to snarl at the other Alpha, but before he could come up with an attack Kix jammed the sedative into his neck and the Commander crumpled into his arms. Immediately the rest of the rescue team descended up on them, gathering up their two injured <em>vode</em> onto a pair of stretchers and packing them into the carrier.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Back on board the ship Anakin and Obi Wan disappeared to the bridge and Helix met Kix in the med bay to be briefed on the Captain and Commander’s injuries. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I’ve started intravenous antibiotics for the infections and an IV drip for dehydration.” Kix said, arms folded over his chest, staring at the readout panel outside his office. “I’m seeing signs of a ruptured spleen in Rex’s scans, I think that’s the most pressing thing to take care of. I’ve got Stim and Packer prepping a surgery bay now.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Helix nodded, stroking his chin and glanced sidelong at his friend. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“How was it down there?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix took a deep breath, rubbing both hands over his face. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Like watching two of your closest friends devolve about thirty million years and then fuck like angry rabbits.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Helix snorted and Kix smiled back at him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Sounds hot.” Helix waggled his eyebrows and Kix laughed. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“If I weren’t so worried about getting my neck snapped in two I might have asked to join in.” He teased back with a grin.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I imagine the Commander was pretty intimidating.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix leaned back against the wall rolling his head from one shoulder to the other, exhausted. “You have no idea. I’m just glad they’re alright. And that he managed to understand what I meant about the shock heat. If Rex had gone any longer he would have boiled his brain into a permanent coma.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Helix hummed and looked up when the doors to the medbay swished open and Jesse walked in, his kama, still new, swishing stiffly about his legs. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix stood up with a relieved smile and moved toward him with an odd gait Helix recognized, the way all <em>vode</em> did, as the limping movements that meant at least a half a shift spent with a stiffie under an uncomfortably tight cod piece. He rolled his eyes and smiled to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Helix moved toward the patients, clapping the medic on the shoulder as he passed. Kix was already pressed close to his mate’s chest as Jesse spoke to him in a tone too low to be heard. “I think you should take a break. Me and the boys can handle the Captain’s surgery.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix frowned, “Are you sure? The Commander...” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Is having his infected wound treated and won’t be waking up for at least another two hours.” He picked up Rex’s chart and flicked his eyes toward Kix’ office. “Just go.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix’ cheeks flushed but he nodded, dragging a smirking Jesse behind him toward his office. Helix heard the lock engaged and chuckled to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Angry rabbits indeed.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Kix had no point of reference for comparison between an AlphaOmega and two Alphas pairing. He and Jesse had been close since they were cadets, though they hadn't mated until a quick and messy pair of ruts a few years ago that Wolffe had set off of all things. Things had been rocky for a while aftter that, but Kix was thankful everyday they’d gotten through it and made it to the other side closer than ever. Especially moments like now, after spending a few hours lost in each other and Kix was taking great pains to pull on his blacks in silence while Jesse dozed on the couch in Kix's office where he sometimes slept when he was pulling double shifts trying to keep too many brothers alive after a battle.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Still, they were both Alphas. So Kix knew, objectively, there were levels of their relationship, nuance and need, that they would never experience.</span>
</p><p>That didn’t mean when he left his office and saw Cody awake and trying to climb out of bed, that he didn’t understand what spurned it.</p><p>It didn’t mean he was going to allow it either.</p><p>“What the kriff do you think you’re doing?”</p><p>Cody jerked at the voice, which made him wince and grab his head, which made him groan and jerk his hand back when he bumped his new bandage.</p><p>He swore. "The kriff, Kix?</p><p>"I think that's what I just said." Kix came to stand in front of him, eyebrow raised and arms folded over his chest.</p><p>Cody did his best to look unimpressed by the medic's glare and scowled. “Where’s Rex?”</p><p>“He’s right there.” Kix jerked his head toward the nearest bed.</p><p>Cody frowned. “Too far.”</p><p>Kix rolled his eyes, moving to glance over the readouts displaying Cody's vitals and test results displayed at the head of the bed. “He’s not even two meters from you. He's asleep, still under from the surgery.”</p><p>“Surgery." Cody straightened, straining to see around Kix's frame. "Is he alright?”</p><p>“Ruptured spleen.” Kix said quietly, pulling out a pen light to check the Commander’s pupil dilation. “It’s a routine surgery.”</p><p>“But he’s alright?” Cody said again, pushing the light away.</p><p>Kix huffed. “He’s fine. He’s better than you are. You’re lucky you have a hard head. Sir. Anyone else would be a Kashyk Root right now.” Kix added with a smirk. “I thought you were going to take my head off.”</p><p>Cody glanced at him before turning his eyes back to the sleeping Omega in the next bed. “I nearly did.”</p><p>“So you remember what happened?”</p><p>Cody shrugged one shoulder. “Bits and pieces. I was out of it. I remember Rex smelled sweet, like a heat but...,” he paused, eyes defocusing as he accessed a memory and then turned a sly gaze up to Kix. “Did you enjoy the show, Kix?”</p><p>Kix rolled his eyes. “Get kriffed.”</p><p>“I did. Did you?”</p><p>Kix shut him up by jabbing a hypo into his neck with more force than necessary.</p><p>“Go to sleep, Commander.”</p><p>The medic straightened, satisfied by the Commander's emphatic swear and threats of future bodily harm.</p><p>"Promises promises." He muttered, adding a few notes to his record while Cody rubbed his neck and pouted. "Go to sleep." Kix repeated and started to walk away but stopped when Cody caught his wrist.</p><p>“Wait, Kix,” He glanced at Rex again, the look on his face a mix between vulnerable and pleading. “Please.”</p><p>Kix sighed, narrowing his eyes. “You’ll have to be mindful of his stitches. And you have to actually <em>rest</em>.”</p><p>“Yes sir.” Cody said immediately, and it was the earnestness instead of teasing in his tone that finally got Kix to cave.</p><p>Pursing his lips, he helped Cody sit up and steadied him when the Commander screwed his eyes shut, all the color draining from his face.</p><p>“You good?” He said after a moment, gaining a jerky node from Cody.</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Kix snorted.</p><p>With an arm around the Cody's waist, he helped him walk across the short space to Rex’s cot.</p><p>It was a well known fact that medical beds on GAR ships were slightly wider than standard. The on the books reason was that Clones were not small men, tall and designed to be even more muscular than their template Jango Fett, and needed the extra space to recuperate properly. Kix and many other Medical staff had a privately held belief that it had something to do with the fact that most <em>vode</em> were exceedingly prone to touch starvation, even Alphas and Nulls. It had gotten to the point that Kaminoans didn’t even try to prevent cadets from sharing sleep tubes anymore and more bunks were pushed together in barracks than stood apart.</p><p>And in Kix’s experience, <em>vode</em> who spent their recovery curled up in the arms of a close brother or mate were quicker to get better and more likely to return to 100%.</p><p>That thought in mind, Kix moved Rex gently to one side of his bed then helped Cody climb onto it beside him and carefully maneuver the Omega into his arms, so that he was half draped over Cody’s chest.</p><p>Immediately Cody relaxed, dropping his chin to rest on Rex’s head, halfway to sleep before Kix had even covered them both in a blanket.</p><p>Kix smiled slightly when Rex unconsciously burrowed into Cody’s chest, checking both their vitals briefly before pulling the privacy curtain around them.</p><p>He turned and saw Jesse in his blacks in his office door, leaning aginst the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.</p><p>“They gonna be alright?”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Jesse said with a soft look on his face.</span></p><p>“Yeah <em>Cyare</em>, they’ll be fine.”</p><p>Jesse walked forward, looking at Kix with those intense brown eyes that were identical to every other <em>vod</em> Kix had ever seen, but still managed to make his heartbeat thunder in a way no one else’s ever did.</p><p>“And you?” He asked in a low, growling Alpha baritone that sent shivers up Kix’ arms and neck despite his ability to do the same.</p><p>“I have you.” Kix smiled, resting his head against Jesse’s shoulder with a soft sigh as the other wrapped his arms around him. “Doesn’t get much better than that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This entire fic sprouted from the visual of Kix baring his neck to soothe a protective alpha...weird. </p><p>Please leave a review if you enjoyed this, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Btw - Helix is an OC creation of SWModdy for anyone who didn't know!</p><p> </p><p>Mando'a Translations:</p><p>K'uur - hush<br/>Ni olar. Nu ba'slanar - I'm here. Not leaving.<br/>Ner Omega. Ni nayc duumir mayen banar at gar. - My omega. I won't let anything happen to you.<br/>vod - brother<br/>vode - plural of brother<br/>cyare - beloved</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
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